Roundtable Examines Worcester Police Staffing Crisis and $35M Holden Sewer Lawsuit Loss

“…the jury found that there was unjust enrichment by the city of Worcester against the town of Holden as a matter of equity that superseded contract law. Whether it be the lawyers or the city councilors or whoever, no one thought it was going to work out that way…”
— Randy Feldman

By-Hank Stolz

Photo submitted

Worcester, MA-Hank Stolz, Randy Feldman and Matt Wally looked at the local police union’s call for City Councilor Khrystian King to recuse himself from police matters due to his support for former councilor Etel Haxhiaj, which the Roundtable sees as political overreach.

The conversation then shifted to the significant staffing shortage in the Worcester Police Department, exploring causes such as recruitment challenges, morale, and the structure of paid details. They also covered the emergence of primary challengers for incumbent state representatives, attributing it to personal ambition and a perceived lack of visibility.

Finally, they delved into the major financial fallout from the City of Worcester losing a $35 million lawsuit to the Town of Holden over sewage rates, with the speakers detailing the city’s legal miscalculations and the urgent need to settle the debt as interest accrued daily. Randy Feldman helped break down the legal decision, “…the jury found that there was unjust enrichment by the city of Worcester against the town of Holden as a matter of equity that superseded contract law. Whether it be the lawyers or the city councilors or whoever, no one thought it was going to work out that way…”